Heat exchanger



sept. 20, 1949.

M. F. FLEITZ HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Sept. 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. F. FLElTz 2,482,335

'HEAT EXCHANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 septw 2o, 1949.

Filed Sept. 6, 1945 EE: n -zu Egg l' alla? Patented Sept. 20, 1949 HEAT EXCHANGEB,

Morris F. Fieitx, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Henry Vogt Machine company, Louisville poration o!y Kentucky Application september s, 194s, .serial Nu. 614,02:

\ 6 Claims. (Cl. 13S-87) This invention relates to heat exchangers an is particularly useful in connection with exchangers of the type having a tubular shell and a longitudinal baille dividing the shell into separate longitudinal passes.

U. S. Patents 1,689,910, 1,822,698, 1,884,156, 1,955,006 and 2,084,324, collectively, disclose a variety of sealing arrangements for effecting a uid tight contact between the longitudinal edges of the baille and the adjacent inner faces of the shell. In some oi these sealing arrangements, each longitudinal edge of the baille is U-shaped in cross section to present an outwardly open groove containing, in its outer portion, a continuous packing for sealing the space between the edge of the baille and the adjacent inner face of the shell and containing in its inner portion, between the packing and the bottom or bight surface of the groove, an adjustable expanding mechanism for forcing the packing outwardly against and maintaining it in tight sealing engagement with the shell, 'l'he present invention relates to a sealing arrangement oi this latter type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel form of expanding mechanism which is simply and inexpensively constructed, easily yand quickly installed on or removed from the baille when the shell and baille are disassembled, easily and quickly inserted into or removed from the shell with the baille, readily expanded or retracted to engage or release the packing and, operative, when expanded, to adjust itself to irregularities in the contour ofthe shell and to force the packing into ilrm, uniform contact throughout its length with the shell.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through a tubular heat exchanger in which the invention is incorporated;

Figure 2 is a section normal to that of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section along line 3-3 of Figure 1, omitting the bottom connections to the exchanger.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a single link;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the sealing arrangement taken along a line corresponding to line 5-5 of Figure '7;

Figure 6 is a side elevation4 oi' the sealing arrangement with the packing and backing strip omitted; and

Figure '7 is a section along line 1-1 of Figure 5.

The tubular exchanger illustrated (Figs. 1-3) conventionally includes: a removable shell I; a cover 2 closing one end of the shell; a fixed tube sheet 3 closing the opposite end .of the shell;` a stationary header [secured to the xed tube sheet; a two-bundle bank of tubes 5 secured at one end to the fixed tube sheet and carrying at its other end a iloating tube sheet B and floating 2 cover 1; and a longitudinal baille l dividing the interior of the shell into two longitudinal passes.

In operation one duid ows successively through the inlet 8a and the inlet chamber 8 of the stationary header, one bundle of the bank of tubes 5, the cross over chamber I0 oi the floating header, the other bundle of the tubes 5, and the outlet chamber II and outlet I2 of the stationary header while the other fluid flows inwardly through the shell inlet I3, upwardly through one pass of the shell, horizontally around the upper edge of the longitudinal baille 8, downwardly through the other longitudinal pass of the shell and outwardly through the shell outlet I4.

In order to prevent the short-circuiting of fluid from one longitudinal pass to the other around the longitudinal edges of the baille 8, each longitudinal edge of the baille is made U-shaped in cross section to provide a U-shaped grooveA 20 (Fig. 7) which opens outwardly toward the inner wall of shell I and which contains in its outer portion a packing means comprising a continuous longitudinal flexible packing 2| for sealing the space or clearance between the longitudinal edge of baille 8 and the adjacent inner'face of shell I, and a flexible backing strip 22 for pressure contact with the inner face of packing 2 I. Packing,2l may be of asbestos, rubber composition,

hydraulic packing, or any other material suitableA to the mediums being used in the heat exchanger. The backing strip 22 is preferably of steel or nonferrous metal of a character to resist the action of the fluids being handled, and is preferably about 1%" thick to develop a certain degree of desired flexibility.

In accordance with the present invention, an expanding mechanism of novel construction is placed within groove 20 between backing strip 22 and the bottom or bight surface 23 of groove 20. The expanding mechanism comprises: a longitudinal series of pivotally-connected metal links 24 extending lengthwise of groove 20 with their opposed side edges adjacent the backing strip and bight, respectively, and with their pivots extending transversely across -the groove, some of the pivots at intervals along the length of the series, e. g, the alternate pivots 25, being laterally oiset from the others, e. g. the intermediate pivots 26, so that, when the series is compressed lengthwise as hereinafter explained, its overall width is expanded sidewise through the depth of the groove in a toggle-like action, causing the links to press inwardly on one side against the bight and outwardly on the other side against the packing means with considerable relative force compared to the force applied; a stop 21 at one end of the series substantially obstructing its downward longitudinal movement; and a compressionmechanism, composed of a lug 28 secured to baille 8, screw 29 and nut 30, arranged at the other end for expanding andretracting the links of the Figure 6, the linksbeing connected by simplel pivot pins 25 and 26. Each link is preferably formed with offset shoulders 24a and 2lb where-A by when in the positions shown in Figure 5, the

v respective pivot ends ofthe links are always olfset, the links being so arranged that alternate pivots are offset in opposite directions` to `provide alternate areas of force application against packing strip 22 and bight 23. i

In ,the retracted position in chamber 20, the alternate pivots 25 are llongitudinally aligned with each other and oilset from the intermediate pivots 26 which 1 likewise are longitudinally aligned with each other.

Stop 2l at one end of the series extends from the bight surface of'groove 20, inwardly so as to close one end of the groove partially at least. 'Ihe stop preferably is sloped so as to cause the adjacent end of the adjacent link to Amove outwardly against the packing when the linkage is compressed. This stop, however, may beprovided by some ,other part of the exchanger such asgtube sheet 3.

y,141g 28 of thecompression mechanism is rigidly secured to project from one end of'baille 8 and is fashioned to provide a groove 3 I, which is aligned withy but longitudinally spaced from groove 20 as shown in Figure 5 to permit the insertion of a tool, and form a shoulder 32. Screw 28 is pivotally secured to the compression end of the linkage by a pin 26 and is suiiiciently long to extend longitudinally past shoulder 32 and into vgroove 3| through its open inner end. 'I'his screw carries a compression nut adjacent shoulder 32.

I n operation, Anut 30 is turned to force the screw into baille groove 20 and thus compress the linkage. With this force applied along the longitudinal central line of alternate pivots 25, the linkage tends to move in the direction of stop 21 but is halted by the development of a force in the opposite direction. 'I'hen movement of the linkage can only take place laterally in groove 20. Since bight 23 of groove 20 prevents any movement of pivots 26 inwardly, the intermediate pivots 25 move laterally outward and thus compress the packing means against the inner face of the shell. It will be appreciated that al1 the intermediate pivots do not necessarily move outwardly to the same degree. .On the contrary, an arrangement of this character permits the different intermediate pivots tomove outwardly to different degrees. For example, if one intermediate pivot 25, in moving outwardly one unit of distance, builds up an outward pressure of l0 umts, each of the remaining intermediate pivots will move Aoutwardly whatever distance is required to build up the same pressure. With an arrangement of this character it is impossible to build up one pressure at one joint and substantially differentv pressures atv other joints. Accordingly, the linkage will adjust itself to irregularities in the contour of the shell, for example, and thus insure firm and uniform contact with the packing means throughout its lenth.

To prevent the inclusion of iluidrpockets between the packing and the inner face of the shell, small rvents as shown at 33 in Figure 5- are preferably provided.

' Having described my invention, I claim:

.1. An edge sealing arrangement for shell and baille structures of the type wherein an edge of the baffle presents along a wall of the. shell an outwardly open channel containing a packing strip in its outer portion for sealing the space between the baille and the shell when the strip is compressed, comprising: a, linkage composed of ya longitudinal series of pivotally connected links having some pivots oil'set so that the linkageis transversely expanded when longitudinally compressed, said linkage extending along the inner portion of the channel vand being arranged for transverse expansion outwardly "against the packing; and means for compresslngthe linkag;

longitudinally to .forcethe packing outward] into substantial sealing relationship with the shell. l

2. The arrangement' of claim 1 wherein the compressing meanscomprises: a stop to engage one end ofthe linkage; and means at the opposite end of the linkage to compress it longitudinally against said stop.

3. The sealing arrangement of claim 1l wherein the compressing means comprises: a stop toengage one end of the Y linkage, said stop being slopingly arranged to force the adjacent end of the linkage outwardly against the packing when the linkage is longitudinally compressed; and means at the opposite end of the linkage to compress the linkage longitudinally against said stop.

4. The sealingarrangement of claim 1 wherein: alternate pivots of the linkagerare oiset.

5. The sealing arrangement of claim 1 wherein: the links-are formed with individual projecting shoulders arranged to maintain the loffset in its extended inoperative position.

6. In an edge sealing arrangement for shell and baille structures of the type wherein an edge of the baille presents an outwardly open channel along a wall of the shell said channel containing a packing strip for sealing the space .between the baille and the shell, the combination comprising: an articulate member located in said channel between said packing strip and the bottomwall thereof comprising a series of links connected together by pivots, said links having camming surfaces for disposing said pivots out of alignment when said camming surfaces are ar ranged in substantial alignment, and means for compressing said member lengthwise to cause alternate joints oi' said links to engage the packing, and force the same outwardly into sealing engagement with the shell.

- MORRIS F. FLEITZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

